Device for training golfers



Feb. 21, 1950 J. R. RIDILL DEVICE FOR TRAINING GOLFERS Filed April 13, 1948 INVENTOR.

7 JOE 1e. RID/LL latented Feb. 21, 1950 UNITED S TATS rem" .orricr DEVICE FOR TRAINING GOIiFERS Joe R. Ridill, Garfield-Heights, Ohio Application April'l3, 1948,.Serial' N 0. 120,808

The present invention relates to a device for training golfers in effecting proper habits for drivinggolf balls.

.swingingrmotion of the arms on a golf stroke, improved gripping of the golf club, proper positioning of the arms and hands-throughout the'stroke, and proper stance and shifting of weight during the stroke.

Another object of the invention is toprovide a golf training device which will permit visual checking 'of positions of the hands relative to the 'feet and body of the golfer during any part of the golf stroke.

Still another object'of the invention is to provide a training device for golfers which will cause control of the golfing stroke to reside in the leading arm, i. e., the left arm of a right handed player and the right arm of a left handed player.

Other objects and advantages of the invention willbe apparent'from the following description of a preferred form of the invention, reference being'made to the accompanying drawings wherein:

.Fig. .1 is a'perspective view of a resilient mem- -ber and attaching means forming a part of the training device;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view ofa wrist band for attaching the resilient member to the wrist of the golfer;

Fig. 3 is a strap for attaching one end of the resilient member to the heel of the golfer;

:Figs. 4,'5.-and 6 illustrate the use of a training device; and,

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a strap for att-a'chment to a, heel of the golfer when the training device'is used in-the manner illustrated in Fig. 6.

It is my observation that many right-handed golfers do not make proper use of'their left arm in driving golf balls'in that the right arm and hand controls the club during the stroke. This results'in inefficient and poor driving or shots. By the useof my training device the golfer is unconsciously trained to more full utilize his left arm and left side to more efficiently execute the vgolf stroke. To bring about this use of the left arm and side, I have provided a resilient member |!,-one end of which may be attached to the left wrist and the opposite end of which may be attachedto either heel of the golfer so that during the golf stroke the golfer must overcome spring 'tension'when moving his arms in the upswing 4 Claims. ((31.1'273-Q-35) preparatory to swinging -'on the *ball and also in the follow-through after the ball has been struck. The resilient member when attached'to the golfer in the manner described will cause'the arms to swing downwardly close to the body sothat the ball will be squarely hit. *By-placing-this tension 'on the left wrist the player, in overcomingitheresistancebecomes more conscious of hisleft hand and as a result he will grip the golf club more 11.

firmly with the left hand throughoutthe entire stroke. Also, the player will tend to keep his weight forwa'rdand head down which improves the ability to hit the ball.

In the present form-of the invention the resilient member I!) consists of a relatively long coil steelspring, one end of which is adapted to be attache'd 'to the wrist by a short'length of a cord ll attachedto a clip 12 which is pivotally connectedto the cord by -a-swive1 joint [3. A wrist band 55 is provided for strappingto the left wrist and'theclip l 2 is adapted'to be hooked to an eye It attached to the wristband. Preferably, the wrist band is attached to the wrist so that the eye It will be on the inside of thewrist. The spring 1 0 is of such specifications that it wil1 exert a down-ward tension throughout the arc of swing of the left hand-when the latter is moved through a ball driving stroke.

The-opposite end of the spring 12 is connected to the heel ofthe player'by'a non-elastic cord-20 which is-looped as .at'ZI through a'swivel joint eye "23 carrying ahook 24. "Ihe'loop end of the cord is provided with a toggle clamp '26 which can be secured at any point along the cordzllto adjust the effective lengthof the cord-between the end of the spring 10 and the clip 24, thus providing an adjustment of the spring: tension on -the wrist of the player. A strap 2'8.havingan"eye"29 rivetedthereto is adapted to be zstrapped Ltorthe heel of the playersshoe with theeye on the-inside of the heel; Il1e -clip:24 is hooked to the eye. 29 whenthe device is used. The length of the cord .20 is such that it will extend from the right heel of the player to the left heel andupwardly around the outside of the left leg and to the front of the golfer.

One use of the device "is'illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5' wherein one end of the device is connected to the left wrist of the. golfer and'the opposite end is connected-to the'left heel. It'will be seen that when the arms are-brought overthe-right shoulder the left arm must stretch the spring l0 and thereby bring into play the muscles of the left arm and side. At the sametime the spring will exert, a lifting action on the left heel so thatthe .golfer will be conscious :of the shifting .oflhis weight to the right foot on the upswing. Also, the resistance to the upswinging of the left arm will cause a tighter gripping of the left hand to the golf club thereby enforcing control of the club by the left hand. On the down swing the left heel pulls the left arm downward by the spring so that the left leg is braced prior to the time the left arm swings to the impact position. At the same time the spring tends to draw the arms inwardly toward the body which causes hitting from the inside. The spring tension during the down swing also causes the player to brace his left leg and receive the weight of his body and the left arm will hit against the braced left leg at the bottom of the swing. On the upswing as illustrated in Fig. the left arm must stretch the spring Hi again which causes firm gripping of the club and which will also tend to maintain the balance of the player forward, all of which promotes closer :control of the club during the golf swing.

The wrist band prevents exaggerated cocking of the wrist so that a more natural snapping of the wrist will be developed.

The device may be also used in the manner illustrated in Fig. 6 in which the band 28 is applied to the right heel of the golfer and a second band 3! is attached to the left heel of the golfer which band includes a hook clip 32 rigidly attached to the band and extending upwardly from the rear of the heel. The cord 20 extends through the clip 32 then upwardly around the outside of the left leg in the manner shown in Figs. 4 and 5. In addition to th training effected when used in the manner described with reference to Figs. 4 and 5, the tension on the right heel and th upward tension on the left heel will tend to emphasize the proper shifting of weight to the right side on the backswing of the stroke. The pressure of the cord 20 against the left leg also emphasizes proper position of the left leg to shift the leg to the right.

I have found that with the device attached to the body as described, and practicing the golf stroke without hitting the ball, an acute sense of the use of the left arm and side is developed, and when the device is removed the golfer will unconsciously utilize to a greater extent his left arm and left side during his actual play. Also, the golfer will unconsciously assume the proper stance or balance in maintaining the weight of his body forward rather than rearing backward during the stroke.

The golfer may also check the relative position of his wrist and feed with my device. For example, as is illustrated in Fig. 5, at the end of the strokethe left wrist should be substantially directly above the left heel, and this may be observed by noticing the position of the spring ill at that point of the stroke. Similarly, to check the proper initial back swing the golfer may attach the lower end of the spring to his right heel so that on the backswing he may easily determine when his wrists are directly above his right heel by observing the spring iii.

For best results the device is used when merely in going through the motions of the driving stroke either with or without a club, and during actual play it is preferable not to wear the device.

When the device is used by a left handed person it will be applied in the same manner but on the opposite side of the body.

It is to be understood that although I have described but one form of the invention, obviously other forms might b adopted, all falling within the scope of the claims which follow.

Iclaim:

l. A device for training in golf comprising, an elongated member having at least a part thereof resiliently stretchable, a wrist encircling element at one end of said member adapted to be attached to the wrist of a person, and a device at the opposite end of said member adapted to be attached to the heel of a foot of the person, said elongated member being of such length that when connected with the wrist and heel and extended around the outside of the leg carrying said foot it yieldingly resists upward movement of the arm and yieldingly draws upwardly on the heel when the arm is raised, and said member being freely swingable across the front of the person when the arm with which said member is connected swings from one side to the other as in a golf stroke.

2. A device for training in golf comprising, an elongated member having at least a part thereof resiliently stretchable, a wrist encircling element at one end of said member adapted to be attached to the wrist of a person, a devic at the opposite end of said member adapted to be attached to the heel of a foot of the person, said elongated member being of such length that when connected with the wrist and heel and extended about the outside of the leg carrying said foot it yieldingly resists upward movement of the arm and yieldingly draws upwardly on the heel when the arm is raised, and said member being freely swingable across the front of the person when the arm with which said member is connected swings from one side to the other as in a golf stroke, and means for adjusting the effective length of said elongated member.

3. A device for training in golf comprising, an elongated member having at least a part thereof resiliently stretchable, a wrist encircling element at one end of said member and adapted to be attached to the wrist of a person, a device at the opposite end of said member and adapted to be attached to the heel of a foot of the person, an eye guide attachable to the other heel of the person and freely receiving said elongated member whereby said elongated member is extendible from the first mentioned heel through said guide and upwardly about the outer side of the leg carrying the foot having said other heel, said elongated member being of such length that when connected with the wrist and heel it yieldingly resists upward movement of the arm and yieldingly draws upwardly on said other heel when the arm is raised, and said member bein freely swingable across the front of the person when the arm with which said member is connected swings from one side to the other as in a golf stroke.

4. A device for training in golf comprising, an elongated coil spring, a wrist encircling element connected to one end of said spring and adapted to be attached to the wrist of a person, and a device at the opposite end of said spring and adapted to be attached to the heel of a foot of the person, said device including a cord-like element extendible from the heel upwardly and about the outer side of the leg carrying said foot to the front side of the leg, said spring and element being of such length that when the spring is so connected with the wrist and heel of a person it yieldingly resists upward movement of the arm and yieldingly draws upwardly on the heel when the arm is raised, said spring being freely swingable across the front of the person when the arm with which said sprin is connected swings from one side to the other as in a golf stroke.

JOE R. RIDILL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Hall Mar. 28, 1893 Raabe May 29, 1900 Muller Feb. 5, 1907 Feustel July 14, 1925 Marsh Nov. 26, 1929 Nelson et a1. June 12, 1934 

